WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court says a company that makes adult diapers did not wait too long to sue a rival for copying its patented design.
The justices ruled 7-1 Tuesday that Sweden-based SCA Hygiene Products AB could take legal action against New York-based First Quality Baby Products LLC for violating patents on its adult incontinence products.
A federal appeals court had ruled that SCA’s delay in bringing the lawsuit was unreasonable. But SCA pointed to a 2014 Supreme Court case that said unreasonable delay is not a defense to copyright infringement claims. The company argued that the same reasoning applies to patent cases.
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The justices agreed, saying unreasonable delay cannot be used to defend a damages claim case that is filed within the six-year time limit authorized by federal patent law.
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